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@eine gtr-etre etent IMPROVED RAILWAY-SWITCH ALARM.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, I. FERGUSON MonsnLL, of Stamford, in the county of' Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Switch Alarms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exaqt description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing,

forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan view of my invention, with portions broken away to expose an arrangement for operating Figure 2 is a side elevation, with portions broken away for vsame purpose.

My invention consists in the combination, with a sliding switch-bar and the lever, windlass, or other device for operating the same, of a clo'ck-movement, or equivalent mechanism, the latter being arranged in such relation to the former that when the main line of track is unbroken, the alarm will be at rest, but so soon as the switch is opened an alarm will be sounded, and continue until the main line is again uninterrupted, and hence constantly remind the switchrnan of his duty.v`

designates a box or case, containing an ordinary clock-movement, to the pallet of which a bell, a, is aixed by an arm, 6, attached to the pallet-shaft c, so that when thepallet rocks, the bell a will ring, and continue to ring so long as the clock-movement is operating.

I will here remark that although I have shown a bell thus connected, I do net limit myself` to such device. A hammer operating on a gong, as in the case of an ordinary burglar-alarm, would answer, or indeed any arrangement which will make a noise, whilst the clock-movement is operating, will answer the purposes of my invention. l

B designates the switch-har, to which the rails dd are connected. The said switch-har is to be operated by a lever or capstan, in the usual. way. I have shown a capstan, O, for operating the switch-bar B, the said eapstan carrying a.cogwheel,f,which engages with a rack, g, upon the switch-bar, so that by turning the capstan the switch-bar is moved in a. longitudinal direction. The switch-bar is of a suiicicnt length to permit its end, d, being thrust into the interdental spaces between the teeth or eogs of the wheelre ol' the clock-workspto arrest the movement of such wheel when the main lineof track is unbroken, and hence no alarm will be sounded. But it is evident that so soon as the said end d is withdrawn from said wheel e, as it necessarily must be when the switch is open, the clock-works will be permitted to operate, and hence keep up an alarm till the switch-bar is returned to the rst-mentioned position.

D is a wheel, attached to the lower end' of the capstan-shat't, and to thiswheel a cord or chain, t, is attached,A

which passes up a. standard, E, and is Asecured to one end of a lever, l, to the other end of which lever a dis-k, F, is attached. Now, when the main line is unbroken, this disk presents a white face-the signalthat all is right; but when the switch is open, the capstan draws the cord z, and this elevates the disk F so as to display a red signal (which signifies stop) on the post, located directly under the disk when the latter is down. This same arrangement can be eifected when a lever is used to operate the switch-bar, a bell-crank, or the like, being properly applied thereto. v

I will here remark that instead of the clock-movement described, any system of wheels which can be held at rest, or permitted to operate by moving the switch-bar, may be employed. And it is obvious that the alarm may be located in any place near the track, so long as it shall be in a. position to be operated upon bythe switchbar, or by an arm, rod, or other device connected therewith.

In applying my invention to railroads, it will be only necessary t0 locate the Clock-works near the switchbar, and to attach a. short arm .to the ordinary switch-har, which shall be so arranged as to stop the operation of the clock-movement when the main line is unbroken. Thus the expense nt putting myinvcntion into practice is very little indeed, and there is no outlay necessary to keep it in operative condition, as in the case where an electric switch-alarm is used. I will remark that it is designed that the clock-works shall he of a capacity to run for, say, eight days, even if the same were required to run all the while; this will not be thc case, however; hence the clock-works can be wound up once a week, and my invention will always be in operative condition.

An alarm-attachment connected to a switch, which will work perfectly, cannot be too highly appreciated,

inasmuch as accidents :we constantly occurring by reason oi switches being left open, and lienee :in alarm, which Will continually notify tlie careless switchmnn that the switch is open, is a measure of' safety tothe public which should not be neglected by railroad companies. A

What I claim as my invention7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- The combination, with the switch-bm and lever, eapstan, o1' otlief device for operating the same, of :L clockmovement, provided with an alarm-gong ettaelinfient,v substantially :is and for tlie purposes herein speciliell, I. FERGUSON MORSELL.

Wlitnesses:

M. M. LIVINGsTeN, v T. B. BEECHER. 

